Tag Archives: life in costa rica

The little ones in the house are very happy, anxiously awaiting a special date, September 9, because it’s the celebration of little boys and little girls in Costa Rica. Likewise, many adults with their inner child alive and well also like to celebrate this day.

On this special day, centers of education prepare an incredible day of fun for the little ones. Cultural and recreational activities are organized so that the kids can show off and have fun, dancing, laughing, playing games and smiling. And do you know what is the best part of this day? Yes, the sweets! The icecreams, bags of treats cake and best of all, presents!

With a day like this full of candies and being spoiled, wouldn’t you like to be a kid your whole life? Well I would! And clearly if you check your Facebook these days, you’ll see a ton of pictures of teenagers that say to each other, “We should’ve stayed small forever! We were such little angels.”

The important thing is to remember on this day our childhood and to fight for the rights of children in Costa Rica so that they will live and grow in a peaceful environment, with love around them, being educated and having the freedom that they deserve.

We can all agree that one day a year is not enough to express the love we have for our moms. And no gift that we choose can be great enough to perfectly honor the fact that our moms brought us into the world and have loved us for our entire lives.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are forever indebted to our mothers. That’s why every August 15th in Costa Rica we ask ourselves, and now what can I give my mom? We make a long list in our minds of possibilities on the market, which bombards us with options of different products that would obligate us to set aside a big chunk of our paycheck to finance the endeavor. Which is the best gift: perfume, a blouse, a purse, an electronic or maybe a massage?

Let’s stop for a moment and analyze the situation. They dedicate their lives to see us grow up and be happy, without ever needing to go to a store and buy “love” to give us. The best Mother’s Day gift is all of the love, respect, understanding and dedication that we can shower on them. A few more days of the year should be dedicated to recognize the value of our moms, but the best thing would be to celebrate our moms each of the 365 days of the year…just because they deserve it.

Because of its beautiful Central Pacific beaches, Costa Rica has been selected for the second time to host the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games. This is event is happening on breathtaking Jaco Beach, whose incredible waves and exuberant beauty attract thousands of tourists and surf fans alike.

Costa Rica will be represented by many impressive surfers, including the McGonagle brothers, Muñoz brothers, Torres brothers, Vindas brothers, Anthony Fillingim and Alberto Muñoz. In addition to the honor of hosting the competition, the reigning champion of the ISA World Surfing Games 2015 (which occurred in Nicaragua), is Costarican Noe Mar McGonagle, who is ready to continue defending his title on national territory.

We send our best wishes of good luck to all of the participants and hope that event contributes to the development of the surrounding Jaco community and allows visitors from all over the world to fall in love with the enchanting nature found in Puntarenas province.

Doing a pilgrimage is one of the most emblematic traditions of Costa Rican Catholics and an established cultural manifestation in our country. This takes place on August 2 and it is estimated that about two million people from different parts of our national territory travel on foot, bicycle, or others means of transportation toward the Church of Cartago, the home of the Virgin of Los Ángeles.

According to the legend, on August 2, 1635, a humble young girl named Juana Pereira left her house in search of firewood for cooking. Suddenly, she came upon a small doll made of stone that was carrying a baby in its arms and lying over a stream of water. The girl, happy to have found it, picked it up and brought it to her house.

The next day she found the same little doll in the same place, and the one that she had in her house was no longer there. That happened on so many occasions that, startled, she decided to turn it into the parish priest. The priest witnessed the same phenomenon of the doll disappearing and then appearing again on the stream of water.

They drew the conclusion that it was a sign from God that this was the place that a church should be built in honor of the Virgen of Los Angeles.

On September 24, 1824, by a decree from the highest authorities of the country, the Virgin of Los Ángeles was declared the patroness of Costa Rica, and August 2 nd is now one of the most celebrated dates nationwide. It is an event of faith that moves masses of parishioners with hearts full of faith and love, be it to request a miracle from the loving mother, give thanks for prayers answered, or just to visit her on her day.

The month of July is a great celebration for everyone from the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. On July 25, 1824, the Nicoya Party, a political-administrative Spanish colony, which is now part of the province of Guanacaste, was annexed to the country of Costa Rica. The slogan of the annexation is “Of the Fatherland for our Own Will,” and that phrase is now part of the district’s crest.

But, what is the symbolic meaning of this date? Guanacaste added to Costa Rica a great variety of culture and traditions that include music, dances, foods, sayings and customs, as well as economic pursuits such as agriculture and the cattle industry, rich soil, majestic rivers and beautiful beaches. This marvelous gift is the “Guanacastecan culture” that identifies the Guanacastecan person before the world and makes us unique in our own country.

That is why we invite you to get to know Guanacastecan culture during this month of July so you can soak in the rich traditions of this land, fall in love with the Costa Rican culture and practice your Spanish in the most colonial and small-town Guanacastecan way.

“Bombas”

or bombs, are riddles that locals ramble off in competions at festivals. They are many times a rime and are spoken so quickly, it’s hard to catch each word. They are said in a joking and happy way, to celebrate a special date or activity, to serenade, to challenge an opponent or just to be silly. Here are two transcribed poems, but they do not rhyme in the English version.

It was a fast decision to come to Costa Rica. I feel like I didn’t even think it through or research it like you really should before moving to a different country. But I remember thinking that if I didn’t do it, then I would wonder what I had missed every minute of every day after that.

It was less than a month between the time that the idea was introduced to me and the day I was on a plane headed to Liberia, Costa Rica – a place much different than the small town in California where I went to college and the even smaller town where I grew up.

Although I grew up in California, a place famous for beautiful beaches, I really hadn’t seen very many. Now, according to my pictures, I have been to at least 25 gorgeous beaches that each have a string of memories to go with them. Besides the beaches, I have visited rivers, waterfalls, volcanoes, and national parks that are too beautiful to put into words. Beyond all that, I have met countless awesome people, seen plenty of incredible animals, tried many new foods, learned a beautiful language, experienced and become accustomed to a different culture, and adopted a more relaxed, stress-free lifestyle that makes me thankful every day for the choice I made to come here.

My time in Costa Rica has also taught me a lot about myself and my own culture. Before I came here, I really didn’t think that I had much of a culture. I was often jealous in college when I met people who had customs and traditions that gave them a sense of pride and unity with those in their group. But in teaching my students about things I know well like Halloween Trick-or-Treating, Thanksgiving stuffing and pumpkin pie, hand-written Valentines, Easter egg hunts, and having a really good hamburger at a Sunday barbeque, I realized that I have a culture to share and be proud of. I love telling people about the way things are in my country and discussing the many differences between California and Costa Rica.

Even though I know now that I made the right decision, it was really intimidating for me to make the move to Costa Rica where I didn’t know anyone and I hardly spoke the language. I had to be serious and I had to be quick. I had to be open to new possibilities and I had to be willing to try new things. I think in the end that if I had really thought it through, I might have backed down. I might have chickened out and said ‘no I can’t do this’. But I didn’t over think it and I didn’t let it scare me. I said ‘yes’ and like that I made the best decision of my life. It might not always be true, but my year in Costa Rica has convinced me that sometimes fast decisions are the best decisions that you can make.

Sharai Kirk, writer of this blog, has been in Costa Rica for a year, studying Spanish and teaching English at Instituto Estelar Bilingüe in Liberia.

You live in Costa Rica – the most obvious pro is that you have the opportunity to live in an amazing place with beautiful beaches, national parks, waterfalls, and volcanoes to explore.

You don’t live in your own country– it’s not easy to leave everything you know behind. Although you are living in an exquisite country, you are not in your own country and this can be difficult at times.

You get to meet people and make new friends – living in Costa Rica and traveling around Central America gives you the chance to meet people that you never would have met if you had stayed in your home country.

You don’t get to see your old friends regularly – although Skype and Facebook make it possible to stay in touch with your good friends back home, it can be difficult at times because you can’t see them on a regular basis.

You have the chance to learn Spanish – although your job is 100% in English, everything else around you isn’t. This makes it easier to learn Spanish because you are not only immersed in it, but you need it at times to get what you want and need.

You have to be patient to learn Spanish – learning Spanish takes time and it can be difficult, especially at the beginning, to understand. Hearing announcements, reading signs, and talking to people are some things that can make you feel nervous or uncomfortable when you don’t speak or understand very much of the language.

The weather – even in the rainy season, Costa Rica is always warm. Sweaters and jackets are rarely needed, whereas shorts and tank tops are always appropriate.

The weather – there are days in Liberia when the heat is unbearable. Usually it is a dry heat, but during changing seasons, the humidity and heat make it difficult to sleep, walk to work, or go anywhere without a fan.

Expenses – things like rent, water and electricity, and traveling by bus are cheap when compared to prices in United States or Canada.

Expenses – Costa Rica is quite expensive compared to the surrounding Latin American countries. This can make it difficult to save money. Things like food, clothes, shoes, and personal items are overpriced and often lack the quality that you would expect for paying such a high price.

You can try new foods – moving to a new country gives you the opportunity to try the foods from the culture. You can also learn to cook typical dishes and add them into your recipe book to use now and in the future.

You may have to give up some culinary favorites – Some foods that you love may not be available here. If they are available, they may cost more than you are used to paying. While there are some very delicious foods in Costa Rica, the selection is different than what you might find in the United States or Canada.

You are able to live a very simple, carefree life – Costa Rica offers a pura vida lifestyle that makes it possible to relax and live a slow-paced life.

You may get addicted to the simplicity – the longer our teachers stay in Costa Rica, the harder it can be for them to return to their home country.

What our teachers have to say:

Carrie: “Teaching in Costa Rica makes you feel like part of the community. There’s a great cultural exchange between the teachers and students that’s a lot of fun for everyone. Also, beaches!!!”

Stephanie: “It’s an amazing, beautiful place to live with nice people. But it’s so hot!”

Nate: “There is no better way to learn a language. It truly is an adventure.”

Sharai: “I love living in Costa Rica! Teaching is fun and it feels good to watch your students advance. I am worried though that I will never leave – I have already extended my stay 6 months!”

Kate: “Living and teaching in Costa Rica has been an adventure, for sure, but acclimating and adjusting to the culture was seamless; the people here have been warm and welcoming and while I may be over 3,000 miles from where I grew up, I’ve never felt as at home as I do in Costa Rica.”

Adam: “It’s definitely an immersive experience in a welcoming culture. Teaching English in this environment is incredible – you feel useful and driven to give as much as you get.”